Dropping Knowledge: The MA-1 Bomber Jacket

Planning on flexing your sartorial muscles in the blog arena? You'll need to come packing. And no, we're not referring to your pocket square game. Every week on The Eye, we'll cover a basic term you need to know right now... before you get laughed off the internet.

Now that we're well into high-fashion season, and news feeds are crawling with trend happy pieces from designers we can't even come close to pronouncing (pass that Ann Demeulemeester?) it's easy to forget that there was a time when our clothes were less designed, and more invented, ya know, out of sheer necessity. Every "military-inspired" piece out there first had to actually be designed for the military. And the guys doing the designing couldn't have cared less about how a jacket draped as a model walked the runway, they just wanted to make sure their products didn't blow up in mid air. Case-in-point, the the illustrious MA-1 bomber.

In the late 1940s, the Air Force stepped into the modern era of aerial combat with the introduction of jet fighter planes. These planes were a technological achievement that helped to give the U.S. an edge, but they also created potential hazards for pilots that had to step into the cockpit. These jets were able to reach heights that the pilots had never seen in their propeller planes, and with altitudes came new problems. Standard issue fleece-lined leather jackets were de rigeur, yet if these bulky jackets got wet the pilot would freeze to death up in the atmosphere; they needed a better, more aerodynamic flight jacket.

A few years before World War II, nylon had been discovered, but the material was never been used for uniforms, because the military needed all of it for their parachutes. Yet, with the war over, the fabric was readily available and the Air Force ran with it. It was lightweight and reflected water (without retaining it). The design of the new jacket was finished off with ribbed cuffs and a cropped body for a sleek fit that wouldn't run the risk of catching on the plane's plethora of dials and switches. And it was the jacket's practical design that helped crossover into the civilian world.

For people living in colder climates, the MA-1 offered something they had never experienced: warmth without weight... something we take for granted with contemporary jackets. The fashionable element started to factor in the 60s, and it started with skinheads in the UK who liked the jacket's simple design so much that it became an essential part of their uniform. And as designers began taking notes from English street culture in the 70s, they too adopted the MA-1, turning it into something for the masses. Then, as is often the case, Hollywood came calling on the bomber's behalf with two movies. First was The Hunter, featuring Steve McQueen (yes, that dude), and then came Top Gun with Mr. Cruise oozing cheesy 80s cool, that kept pilot style on our radars for seasons to come.

These days, fashion houses and major market retailers alike are constantly toying with the MA-1, adding and replacing features, changing out the jacket's trademark nylon shell for suede and leather. But vintage heads are sure to know that surplus continues to make the traditional MA-1 to the exact military specs from the 40s. And after all this, if you're still not into the idea of a bomber jacket, we have one question for you: "What's your problem, Kazanski?"